Bye-bye blue: More smog settling in

(CHINADAILY)WithanewroundofsmoglikelytoengulfBeijingandsurroundingareasoverthenextthreedays,thecityissuedanorangealert－thesecond-highestwarninglevel－onSaturdayafternoon,31hoursaheadoftheexpectedgloom.

Itwasthesecondsuchalertissuedwithinafewdays,followingabriefrespiteafterlastweek'sheavysmogwaswhooshedawaybyacoldweatherfront.

Theearlywarningwasissued"tobetterinformandhelpresidentscopewithairpollution,andtohelppollutedfactoriesbetterpreparetoreduceproduction",saidXueJianjun,seniorengineerattheNationalMeteorologicalCenter.

PrecipitationonSundaynightcoulddissipateairborneparticlesalittle,butthepollutionlevelislikelytopeakonTuesdayandWednesday,thecentersaid.

AccordingtotheBeijingMunicipalMeteorologicalBureau,smogislikelytoreducevisibilityto3to5kilometersstartingonSunday.Insomeareas,visibilityislikelytobelessthan1km.

"Factorydischargesandunfavorableweatherconditions－mainlyslowwindspeedandhighhumidity－aretheleadingfactorsinairpollutionthistime,"Xuesaid.

TheMinistryofEnvironmentalProtectionpredictedthatthedominantpollutantwillbePM2.5－particles2.5micronsorlessindiameterthatposehazardstohumanhealth.

Schoolsarerequiredtokeepstudentsindoors,andfactoriesarerequiredtolimitorsuspendoutputwhiletheorangealertisactivefromMondaytoWednesday.

"Eventhoughemergencymeasuresdonotnecessarilyeliminatethepollution,theycaneffectivelyreducethepeaklevel,"Xuesaid.

Totackletheproblemthisweek,updatesonairpollutionlevelswillbemorefrequent,andinspectionsofpollutingfactorieswillbestrengthened,MinisterofEnvironmentalProtectionChenJiningsaidonSunday.

Howtodealwithpollutio

Residents,especiallytheelderlyandyoungchildren,shouldminimizethelengthandintensityofoutdooractivitiesandshouldwearamaskonsmoggydays,saidZengXiaopeng,deputydirectoroftheBeijingCenterforDiseasePreventionandControl.

Whenreturninghome,peopleshouldwashtheirfacesandrinseouttheirmouths.Theyshouldalsoremoveandstoretheircoatstoreducecontaminationindoors,hesaid.

Residentsshouldclosetheirwindowsandminimizeactivitiesthatpolluteindoorair,suchascookingandsmoking,hesaid,addingthatairpurifierscanbeleftontoreducethedensityofharmfulparticlesindoors.

GuQing,directoroftheTianjinCenterforDiseasePreventionandControl,alsosuggestednotwearingcontactlensesbecausetheairpressureislower.Insuchconditions,contactlensescanpreventcorneasfromgettingenoughoxygen,whichcancausediscomfort.